The coalition of registered political parties in Ogun State has warned the Nigeria Police Force against serving as an instrument to disrupt democracy in the state.
The political parties accused the police of being used by leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun to intimidate the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ladi Adebutu.
DAILY POST reports that the warning followed an investigation being carried out by the police over allegations that Adebutu engaged in vote buying during the March 18 governorship election.
While addressing newsmen in Abeokuta on Friday, the coalition called on the police to be independent in the discharge of their duties.
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Tony Ojeshina, advised the APC and its candidate to focus on the case before them at the tribunal, rather than engaging in “cheap propaganda, media bullying and trial, rumour peddling and name calling.”
Ojeshina spoke alongside representatives of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Because Of Our Tomorrow (BOOT), Labour Party (LP), Action Democratic Party (ADP), African Action Congress (AAC), All Peoples Party (APP) and National Rescue Movement (NRM).
“We want to urge the Nigeria Police Force not to allow themselves to be used as an instrument of coercion and intimidation by the APC,” Ojeshina said.
He accused APC of usurping the responsibility of the police by revealing information about an ongoing investigation of Adebutu.
“We are not unaware of the antics of the APC’s deliberate effort to sway public attention away from the many transgressions in the electoral process and also to cause a distraction for the tribunal through its consistent media trial and rumour peddling against our candidate, Adebutu,” Ojeshina added.
